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UAE folded for 57, their collapse highlighting the gulf between the two sides

Karthik Krishnaswamy10-Sep-20252:03

What are India’s expectations from Gill?

It took just 106 balls for India to begin their defence of the Asia Cup with the most comprehensive of wins. It took them just 79 balls to bowl UAE out, and just 27 to chase down their target.UAE’s 57 was the lowest total any team had achieved against India in T20Is. India’s 4.3-over chase was their quickest in T20Is.UAE came into this match on the back of encouraging displays against Pakistan and Afghanistan in the tri-series they recently hosted, but all that promise came to nothing against the relentless quality of India’s bowling, with Kuldeep Yadav taking four wickets in no time to celebrate his return to action after a long tour of England spent entirely on the bench.Thereafter, it was just a question of how quickly India would get to their target, and the answer – mostly delivered by their new opening combination of old buddies Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill – was a one-worder: very.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batting depth, two wristspinners, and SamsonA lot of interest surrounded India’s selection for this game, with particularly intense debate surrounding their wicketkeeper, bowling-attack composition, and No. 8. These were India’s choices:Gill displaced Sanju Samson from the opening position as expected, but Samson kept the keeping gloves ahead of Jitesh Sharma. India picked both their wristspinners, Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, and picked the batting allrounder Shivam Dube to give them genuine depth until No. 8, but this meant they only had one specialist quick in Jasprit Bumrah.Some of these choices were surprises. The bigger surprise, perhaps, was that India won the toss – after 15 straight toss losses across formats.Related

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Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Gill and Abhishek begin new chapter in old bromance

Bumrah bowls three in the powerplayFor the first time since 2019, Bumrah bowled three overs inside the powerplay in a T20I. He took one wicket, crashing through Alishan Sharafu’s defences with a searing yorker, but also conceded four fours, three in one over to UAE captain Muhammad Waseem.With Sharafu and Waseem hitting six fours and a six between them, UAE began well enough, scoring 41 for 2 in their powerplay. But they fell apart thereafter, losing their last eight wickets for the addition of just ten runs.Kuldeep and Dube clean ’em upTo their credit, UAE did not let the loss of two powerplay wickets curb their intent, but on this day they kept losing wickets to low-percentage shots. And they kept losing wickets to Kuldeep in the ninth over – three of them, to be precise.First, Rahul Chopra took on the large outfield at the Dubai International Stadium and the protected long-on boundary and holed out. Three balls later, Waseem was lbw, missing a sweep against a bowler whose stock ball, straightening into the right-hander from left-arm over, is stump-to-stump by design.Kuldeep finished the over with a trademark wrong’un to bowl the left-handed Harshit Kaushik through the gate, and UAE were already five down.India used six bowlers, and five of them ended up on the wickets column, with Bumrah – who bowled three overs in the powerplay, a rarity for him – Varun and Axar Patel taking one each.1:55

Why did Suryakumar let Siddique bat despite being out?

Dube, playing ahead of a second frontline quick to give India batting depth until No. 8, bagged three with his medium-pace, which meant he had taken 5 for 15 in four overs in his last two T20Is. His first two T20Is, it has to be mentioned, since his bowling quality came under severe scrutiny following India’s use of Harshit Rana as his concussion substitute against England in Pune.Here, Dube couldn’t help but pick up wickets even when India didn’t want them. In his second over, a direct hit from Samson caught Junaid Siddique wandering out of his crease – a la Jonny Bairstow – after swinging at and missing a short ball. Siddique was given out stumped but India captain Suryakumar Yadav withdrew the appeal. Next ball, Siddique swung at and miscued a slower ball high in the air, and walked back, c Suryakumar b Dube.Abhishek and Gill do (most of) the restThey’ve been fast friends since the Under-14 level and might have been forgiven for wanting to take a bit of time savouring the feeling of opening together for India, but that was the last thing on the minds of Abhishek and Gill. They clattered 48 runs in just 3.4 overs before Abhishek fell, miscuing a hard-length ball from Siddique, and in that time they played a number of outrageous shots. The pick of them, perhaps, were a dancing flick for six by Gill off Mohammad Rohid, and a falling-away slap over long-off by Abhishek, off a short-of-length dart from the offspinner Kaushik.India were ten away from victory when Abhishek fell, and Suryakumar – whipping his first ball off his hip for six – and Gill took just four balls to finish the job.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo derrotou o Bahia por 1 a 0 nesta quarta-feira (29), na Arena Fonte Nova, pela 36ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Caio Paulista, que entrou na segunda etapa, marcou o gol que garantiu a primeira vitória da equipe como visitante no campeonato.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

Com o resultado, o Tricolor Paulista chegou a 50 pontos, e ocupa o 9º lugar. O Bahia, por sua vez, perdeu a oportunidade de deixar a zona de rebaixamento. Com 41 pontos conquistados, o time baiano aparece na 17ª posição.

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA

!MILAGRE! Michel Araújo toca para Juan na área, o camisa 31 devolve de calcanhar para o uruguaio, que chega chutando de perna direita. Marcos Felipe se joga e defende com a perna. Quase o primeiro do São Paulo.

!JOGO PARALIZADO! Braulio Machado, árbitro da partida, interrompeu o duelo após a explosão de alguns refletores do estádio. Pedaços de vidro caíram no gramado da Arena Fonte Nova.

!NÃO PODE PERDER! Biel puxa contra-ataque pela esquerda e encontra ótimo passe para Cauly, que tenta cavadinha com a perna esquerda e desperdiça ótima oportunidade.

!DEMOROU DEMAIS! Biel recebe ótima bola, invade a área com velocidade, mas demora demais para finalizar e é travado por Arboleda.

!FINALMENTE! Caio Paulista mata contra-ataque do Bahia, parte em velocidade, invade a área e finaliza de canhota para abrir o placar. O gol do lateral garantiu a primeira vitória do Tricolor atuando fora de casa.

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO?

A etapa inicial foi de muita marcação e pouca criatividade. O Tricolor Paulista começou melhor no duelo, dominando a posse de bola, e quase abriu o placar aos seis minutos. Michel Araújo recebeu belo passe de calcanhar de Juan, o uruguaio chutou e viu Marcos Felipe, goleiro do Bahia, fazer ótima defesa. Sem conseguir impor seu ritmo na partida, o equipe dirigida por Rogério Ceni levou perigo ao gol adversário apenas nos acréscimos. Aos 47 minutos, Cauly recebeu em velocidade de Biel e tocou de cavadinha na saída do goleiro, mas a bola foi para fora.

E A ETAPA FINAL?

As equipes voltaram do intervalo mais ofensivas. O São Paulo dominou o meio-campo e ditou o ritmo da partida. O Bahia, por outro lado, tentava levar perigo nos contra-ataques. Caio Paulista, que entrou na metade final da segunda etapa, acertou belo chute de esquerda e marcou o único gol da partida.

O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Na próxima rodada, a penúltima do Campeonato Brasileiro, o São Paulo encara o Atlético-MG no sábado (2), às 20h (de Brasília), na Arena MRV. O Bahia visita o já rebaixado América-MG no domingo (3), às 16h (de Brasília), na Arena Independência.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BAHIA 0 x 1 SÃO PAULO
Local: Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador (BA)
Data e hora: 29/11/2023 (quarta-feira), às 20h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Braulio da Silva Machado (SC)
Assistentes: Alex dos Santos (SC) e Thiaggo Americano Labbes (SC)
VAR: Daniel Nobre Bins (Fifa/RS)
Cartões amarelos: Yago e Kanu (Bahia); Beraldo e Thalles Costa (São Paulo)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gols: Caio Paulista (51′ do 2ºT)

BAHIA (Técnico: Rogério Ceni)
Marcos; Gilberto, Kanu, Vitor Hugo e Luciano (Camilo Cándido/30′ do 2ºT); Nicolás Azevedo, Rezende e Yago; Cauly, Biel (Lucas Mugni/31′ do 2ºT) e Thaciano (Ademir/30′ do 2ºT)

SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Dorival Júnior)
Rafael; Rafinha, Arboleda, Beraldo e Welington (Caio Paulista/42′ do 2ºT); Pablo Maia, Alisson, Michel Araújo (David/20′ do 2ºT) e Wellington Rato (Nathan Mendes/31′ do 2ºT); Lucas (Luciano/20′ do 2ºT) e Juan (Thalles Costa/31′ do 2ºT)

Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has accepted his "share of responsibility" for his side's poor form following their Champions League exit. However, returning forward Tim Weah has blasted talk of a "total crisis" at the club, pointing out they are still second in Ligue 1 and just two points behind reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Weah dismisses 'total crisis' claims

Marseille are reeling from a 1-0 home defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League which followed a disappointing league draw against Angers, amplifying the pressure on the squad.

Despite their European exit, which leaves them 25th in the Champions League league phase, Marseille remain second in Ligue 1. They host Brest at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday, knowing a victory could send them to the top of the table – at least until PSG face Lyon the following day.

Weah, who is returning from injury, was defiant when facing the media, expressing his confusion at the severe external reaction to the team's form.

"I read that it's a total crisis and I don't understand anything," Weah stated. "It's not like we're 10th, we're two points behind Paris. We're not getting the results we want, but it's not the end of the world. We have to stay focused on our work and not look at the others."

The United States international, who has played for other high-pressure clubs including PSG, Juventus and Celtic, insisted the internal mentality remains positive.

"Pressure? It doesn't surprise me at all. When you lose it gets a bit crazy but players shouldn't look at that," Weah added. "The mentality of the group is very good. We just have to do the job, everyone is calm here, all the noise is outside."

While Weah acknowledged the team is "not playing our best football," he attributed the difficulties to a significant injury list rather than a fundamental flaw.

"There are a lot of injuries, important players, and it's difficult because you're playing matches every three days," he explained.

AdvertisementAFPDe Zerbi accepts 'justified' criticism of poor form

De Zerbi, however, took a different tone and shouldered the blame for the performances that have frustrated the fanbase.

"The criticism of our play in the last three matches is justified, I say that without shame and I take my share of responsibility," De Zerbi admitted. "It's a difficult moment – like after Rennes – because we're not playing well. Losing against Atalanta and drawing against Angers has frustrated us."

He added: "The responsibility is mine."

De Zerbi provided a detailed update on his squad's fitness, revealing the extent of the personnel issues that have forced his hand.

Leonardo Balerdi remains unavailable for the Brest match. Geoffrey Kondogbia and Neal Maupay may only be fit enough for the bench with "reduced playing time." Weah's status will be assessed after training.

On a positive note, Emerson will return from suspension. De Zerbi is optimistic that the situation will improve significantly next week, projecting the return of Balerdi and "perhaps" Facundo Medina, while Kondogbia is expected to regain 100% fitness.

The manager also gave an update on Bilal Nadir, who collapsed last week, stating: "He trained with us yesterday. He's better but he's not yet at 100%. We'll assess him today, but if he's in the squad, he'll be on the bench."

Manager defends controversial rotation policy

The injury crisis was at the centre of De Zerbi's defence of his squad rotation, which has drawn criticism from supporters.

"Some say I change the lineup a lot, but do you think I change it because I'm confused or because I don't want to worsen the injury situation?" De Zerbi asked. "We're trying to manage playing time, to avoid a Nayef Aguerd getting injured like he did at Auxerre. It's the same for Balerdi at Lens.

"I don't like changing five or six players per match. But like all teams, you have to rotate the squad."

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De Zerbi analyses Atalanta defeat and tactical approach

Reflecting on the midweek Champions League exit, De Zerbi defended his tactical approach, including the team's tendency to pass backwards.

"You get frustrated when we go back, and I get frustrated when we retreat too," he said. "But sometimes, to move forward more effectively, it's also enough to simply pass the ball back once."

Despite the 1-0 loss, De Zerbi pointed to statistics as evidence that the performance was not as negative as the result suggested. Marseille registered 15 shots to Atalanta's six, with four on target.

"We had more shots on goal than Atalanta, we entered the box more often, but they scored. That disappoints me," he said.

Weah added that the team felt aggrieved by a refereeing decision in the match: "There's a real disappointment against Atalanta… It's a disappointment because there was a penalty, but we have to take responsibility because we didn't play a very good match."

FIFA began the second phase of World Cup ticket sales on Monday, putting one million tickets into a randomized draw that runs through Friday and includes a domestic priority window for residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Fans worldwide can enter the draw but those in the three host countries who are selected will receive an exclusive time slot.

AFPDomestic exclusivity for host counties

A key feature of this round draw is a domestic exclusivity period reserved for residents of the three host nations. Fans from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico who enter the draw by the Friday deadline have the opportunity to purchase single-match tickets for games held within their respective countries.

The exclusivity period runs through 11 a.m. ET on Friday and ensures that local supporters have priority access to matches on home soil. 

The Early Ticket Draw uses a randomized allocation process to assign purchase time slots to successful applicants. FIFA says winners will receive notification at least 48 hours before their assigned window opens.

AdvertisementRandomized purchase time slots

The ticket draw is open to all fans globally. Those selected through FIFA’s randomized process will receive a designated time slot to purchase tickets starting Nov. 12, with these slots being issued through Nov. 15. Winners will be notified at least 48 hours before their purchase window opens, providing ample time to prepare for ticket acquisition.

Demand in the first phase

FIFA reported that more than one million tickets were sold during the initial presale phase, with residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico buying the most tickets. England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France rounded out the top 10 markets in that opening phase.

“We already have seen massive interest from around the world for this tournament, and especially from within the host countries as Canada, Mexico and the United States prepare to host the biggest FIFA World Cup yet,” said Heimo Schirgi, the tournament’s chief operating officer. “This second phase, with its host country domestic exclusivity time slot, will allow us to say ‘Thank you’ to these local fans, while ensuring global opportunity as well.”

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AFPUpcoming phases to expand ticket availability

After the domestic exclusivity period ends, FIFA will open ticket purchasing slots to a broader audience starting Nov. 17. Additional tickets will be released in subsequent sales phases, continuing the gradual rollout of available seats as the World Cup approaches. This phased approach aims to ensure a fair and organized distribution of tickets to fans worldwide.

Celtic’s miserable season continues.

On Thursday evening, at a far from full Parkhead, the Hoops were beaten 2-0 by Braga in a wretched Europa League tie.

Despite having earned a respectable 1-1 draw with Crvena zvezda in their league phase opener eight nights earlier, all that good work was undone by a generally lifeless and toothless display against a team who, if reports are to believe, were underperforming to such an extent that manager Carlos Vicens was on the brink of the sack; perhaps that isn’t the case anymore!

For Brendan Rodgers, he has enjoyed unfathomable success in Glasgow and, while no one believes he is to blame, he certainly has a big job on his hands to turn the tide of negativity around.

In summary, his squad is not good enough to compete at this level, but which of the Hoops’ most experienced players were most to blame?

Kasper Schmeichel's miserable night

Braga’s opening goal, scored by Ricardo Horta, was either an absolute screamer or a goalkeeping howler, depending on your point of view.

As Joe Hart, speaking on commentary for TNT Sports, was eager to point out, the ball did dip and swerve viciously, but Kasper Schmeichel in goal will be disappointed that he was unable to keep this one out.

In fairness to the vastly experienced Dane, he could do nothing about the second, Dane Murray’s clearances ricocheting in via Gabri Martínez’s knees, while Schmeichel did make plenty of impressive saves, one in particular denying Florian Grillitsch; without him, the scoreline could have been either worse.

Since arriving from Anderlecht, Schmeichel has been excellent in a Celtic jersey albeit, set to celebrate his 39th birthday next month, there has to be some semblance of succession planning.

However, he was far from the player who put in the worst contribution on the night, with the Celts’ main issues lying at the other end of the park.

Celtic's blunt attack

We have potentially buried the lead, given that this game on Thursday night witnessed, potentially, the worst VAR decision since its introduction, one that former Celtic striker Chris Sutton described as “scandalous”.

Shortly after half-time, following a defensive mix-up from the Archbishops, Kelechi Iheanacho calmly slotted an equaliser past Lukáš Horníček.

However, VAR had other ideas, informing referee Tobias Stieler that the Nigerian striker had handled the ball in the build-up.

Hart on commentary was rightly gobsmacked; you can make up your own mind, but no evidence has yet surfaced that the ball actually made contact with the striker’s hand or arm.

That aside, Iheanacho was generally anonymous, as the table below documents.

Shots

0

8th

Shots on target

0

6th

Shots blocked

1

7th

xG

0.04

11th

Duels contested

6

17th

Duels won

1

27th

Possession lost

10

9th

Touches

19

27th

Average SofaScore rating

6.1

30th

Iheanacho was a peripheral figure, completing just five passes, touching the ball just 19 times and losing the ball on ten occasions. He could also muster only one shot while ending the night with the same expected goals figure as 19-year-old right-back Colby Donovan, who was replaced at half time.

Of course, Iheanacho will believe, and he wouldn’t be the only one, that he scored a perfectly good goal, one that would have reversed the narrative, both for him and the club as a whole.

The Nigerian did score in Belgrade last Wednesday, having converted a penalty on his debut to snatch victory at Rugby Park, but is symbolic of the board’s shambolic summer transfer strategy, arriving after the deadline following the sale of Adam Idah, with no replacement lined up.

Life is also not being made easy for him by Celtic’s general lack of attacking threat, with Sebastian Tounekti the only one looking like scoring a goal against Braga, while fellow new recruit Michel-Ange Balikwisha puzzlingly remained on the bench.

Saturday’s goalless stalemate with Hibernian was the Hoops’ first 0-0 draw in a home Premiership match since 26 August 2023 against St Johnstone, but the fifth time in 12 matches already this season in which they’ve failed to score.

Right now, in the Scottish Premiership, leaders Hearts as well as Hibs, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, Livingston and Motherwell, who will visit Parkhead on Sunday, have all scored more goals than the serial champions’ tally of eight, a mind-boggling statistic.

Rodgers’ side still have to face Sturm Graz, Roma and Utrecht in Glasgow as well as taking on Midtjylland, Feyenoord and Bologna on the road in the Europa League, and Celtic are going to have to exponentially improve, especially in attack, if they’re to avoid an ignominious early exit.

Bigger talent than Donovan: Celtic must rue releasing "complete" star

Celtic must rue releasing this young star who currently looks like an even bigger talent than Colby Donovan.

ByDan Emery Oct 2, 2025

George Hill claims four-for to hasten Yorkshire to 504-run victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Apr-2025Former England spin-bowling all-rounder Dom Bess posted his maiden century in the Rothesay County Championship before lunch on day three against Worcestershire at Headingley before Yorkshire’s bowlers wrapped up a record-breaking 504-run victory in double-quick time.Bess came in as nightwatchman late on day two and reached 10 overnight. He reached three figures off 115 balls shortly before being bowled for 107 on the stroke of lunch.Yorkshire batted on for just less than half an hour after lunch, declaring their second innings on 315 for four and setting up an almost impossible target of 610 for a side who batted out 200 overs for a draw against Somerset at Taunton last week.Bess then took a screamer of a diving catch at cover just before tea. Afterwards, he added another catch at first slip as Worcestershire crumbled to 105 all out, giving Yorkshire the record for the largest victory by a runs margin in Championship history.Unfortunately for the Pears, there was no sign of the Taunton resistance as Yorkshire claimed a 24-point haul to three. This was just a task too tall as George Hill finished with four for 23 from 7.1 overs of seam.Jack White and Jordan Thompson struck twice each and Ben Coad and Adam Lyth once.Worcestershire lost their last eight wickets for 33 either side of tea, falling from 72 for two.Bess, having come in at the fall of the first wicket late on day two, shared in partnerships of 77 for the second wicket with James Wharton and 100 for the third with Dawid Malan, the latter who made 76 not out off 64 balls.During the morning, Lyth was caught and bowled one-handed by Ben Allison for 35 and Wharton caught at deep midwicket off Matthew Waite for 26.For large parts, Worcestershire had every outfielder posted on the boundary rope.That made run-scoring like child’s play for players such as Bess, Malan and, after lunch, Jonny Bairstow, who blasted 44 not out of 26 balls before declaring to leave Worcestershire needing to bat out a minimum of 163 overs for a second successive unlikely draw.Bess, playing his 102nd first-class match this weekend, had only scored one previous century in first-class cricket – 107 for the MCC in a champion county friendly against Essex at the start of 2018.Yorkshire’s seamers blew Worcestershire away for 162 in the first innings, taking eight wickets during the second afternoon.And while they were made to work much harder during the Pears’ second innings, they chipped away at the wickets to leave themselves almost certain winners.With the score on 28 in the 12th over, Hill trapped Jake Libby lbw before Thompson forced the other opener, Gareth Roderick, to drive to Bess at cover in the 15th.Bess clung on to a beauty of a catch – 42 for two.Worcestershire suffered a significant blow in the over before tea when Ethan Brookes was bowled leg-stump through the gate by the part-time off-spin of Lyth, and at 72 for three the task of survival was looking a forlorn one for the visitors.That theory was strengthened with three more wickets in the opening seven overs of the evening as the score fell to 90 for six, including the departure of Waite – the hero of Taunton last weekend.Adam Hose tried to leave new ball seamer White alone and lost his off-stump. Kashif Ali, on 22, also tried to leave alone against the same bowler and was trapped lbw.Sandwiched in between, Ben Coad had Waite caught behind down leg.That was the beginning of the end, with Yorkshire winning only their ninth Championship match at Headingley since the end of 2016.Hill struck again to remove injured Brett D’Oliveira and Allison, and Thompson got Tom Taylor. D’Oliveira and Taylor were caught at first slip and Allison bowled.Hill then wrapped things up by getting Jacob Duffy caught behind.

David Moyes smiles, and it’s a cheery smile at that. The 62-year-old has been quizzed on his reaction to Everton’s summer transfer business, and he is content with what he has seen.

Statman Dave hailed the Scottish manager as a “football genius” after his latest success, guiding Everton toward greener pastures. It’s an incomplete task and still in its early phase, but the signs are certainly promising.

Experienced stars such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have added flair and control to a Toffees team transitioning toward something more modern, still rooted in Moyes’ core tactical principles.

And who could be a better representation of that than the young and daring Tyler Dibling? Signed from Southampton for £42m in August, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder is the future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Why Everton signed Tyler Dibling

Everton looked to have added much to their attacking midfield ranks when landing Grealish, but Moyes still needed someone competent when coming off the right, and Dibling was the top target.

A series of efforts to sign the fleet-footed teenager were thwarted, but Everton finally secured their man, adding a rising star capable of standing out amongst giants within the Premier League.

He struggled for prolific success on the south coast last term, but then Southampton were embroiled in a pitiful relegation battle, and Dibling was hailed all the same for his “world-class talent” by Southampton’s academy manager, Andy Goldie.

Right winger

13

1 (0)

Attacking midfield

7

1 (2)

Centre-forward

5

2 (1)

Right wing-back

1

0 (0)

Dibling has the world at his feet, and if all goes to plan regarding the former Saints prospect’s development over the coming years, it could lead Moyes to creating Everton’s new version of Anthony Gordon, a player whose unsavoury exit almost three years ago remains a regretful thing to this day.

Everton must regret losing Anthony Gordon

While few of an Everton persuasion would have wanted Gordon to stay put after his antics in the build-up to his £45m transfer to Newcastle United in January 2023, his decision to force his way out of Goodison Park left a very sour taste on the saga.

A product of Everton’s youth academy, the Merseyside-born winger completed 77 appearances for the Toffees first team before his move, playing regularly in the Premier League for a year-and-a-half before his switch.

And despite banking a healthy sum for his sale, there’s so much to be frustrated about, with Gordon crowned Newcastle’s Player of the Year in 2023/24 and now standing tall as one of the most prominent wide forwards in England.

The acquisition of a young star such as Dibling will perhaps hand Everton the keys to fashion their new version of the England international, one who could stay for a greater period of their career, instead of taking flight at a critical point in the club’s history.

TalkSPORT host Simon Jordan rather unceremoniously likened Gordon’s Merseyside exit to being “like a rat wants to desert a sinking ship”, which is unquestionably unfair but still underlines the prevailing mood when the young winger did indeed jump ship.

Perhaps the whole ordeal reflects the state Everton were in at the time, kept afloat thereafter by Sean Dyche’s prowess in battling against the current of relegation.

But it still stings. Everton collected £45m for their wantaway prospect, but his value has since soared toward the ballpark of £100m, and he could have become a superstar in Everton blue had circumstances been different.

Still, with Moyes now running the show and the Toffees showing signs this season of real progress toward higher Premier League ground, it’s one that fans will choose not to think about too much.

Everton signed Iliman Ndiaye last summer and have now welcomed a prodigy in Dibling, after all.

He's like Isak & Salah: Everton will rue selling "one of the best in Europe"

Two former Everton stars are now thriving in Italy.

ByWill Miller Sep 11, 2025

After the sale of Jacob Ramsey handed them some wriggle room on the PSR front, Aston Villa are now reportedly eyeing a fresh approach to sign a player who Unai Emery loves.

Emery "accepts" PSR rules in frustrating summer

Aston Villa were finally forced to face their PSR concerns and sell an important member of Emery’s squad in Jacob Ramsey. The academy graduate completed a move to Newcastle United, who are likely to compete with Aston Villa for a place in the top six this season. It’s a move that needed to happen financially, but one that captain John McGinn has already aired his frustration about.

As frustrating as Ramsey’s sale will be for all involved at Villa Park, however, Emery has “accepted” PSR rules and reiterated the pride that he has in his side.

The Spaniard told reporters: “No, I’m not frustrated. I accept the rules, I accept where we are and how we are competing and how we are being ambitious in our capacity to compete with the better teams in the Premier League and in Europe.”

“I think you have to be proud of everything we are doing. But of course, everything we did for me is done now, we have to do it again and again and again and it’s starting again for me to beat these teams and to build, through the result, good performances and try to get our title we have.”

Meanwhile, what Ramsey’s departure has done is hand Villa some room to make some moves of their own, which could yet see them welcome a Premier League rival this month.

Aston Villa eyeing Jackson loan deal

Whilst they’re in no position to match his €60m (£52m) price tag, those at Villa Park could yet bypass FFP rules in a fresh approach to welcome Nicolas Jackson this summer. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Aston Villa are now eyeing a loan deal to sign Jackson after he was dropped by Chelsea following their own impressive additions.

Emery is reportedly a huge admirer of Jackson, who worked under the Villa boss during their time together at Villarreal, and may yet get the chance to strike a reunion before the transfer window slams shut.

Instant Guessand upgrade: Aston Villa hold talks to sign £60m "monster"

Aston Villa could soon snap up this £60m attacker who is an instant upgrade on new recruit Evann Guessand.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 19, 2025

Dubbed “confident” by former Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Joe Cole last season, Jackson could have the perfect opportunity to leave his Stamford Bridge woes behind, courtesy of those in the Midlands.

Early in the final hour at the MCG, Australia won an epic Test that had been played in front of a record crowd to take a 2-1 lead in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, having snared seven wickets in the final session when it appeared India were on track to save the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal defied the home side for 208 deliveries before falling to the herculean Pat Cummins while hometown star Scott Boland made three key incisions to secure one of Australia’s most significant victories of recent history.Nathan Lyon claimed the final wicket, when he pinned Mohammed Siraj lbw, sparking wild celebrations for the home side: a margin of 184 runs did not do justice to the tension and drama of the final day and the importance of the result to this Australia team who have turned their fortunes around after the crushing opening defeat in Perth.Related

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After India had slid to 33 for 3, Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant added 88 in 32 overs to take India into the final session with seven wickets in hand, but Travis Head burgled the wicket of Pant and Australia seized their moment as India lost 7 for 34. The quick bowlers were immense, Mitchell Starc bowling in the mid-140kph region despite a back niggle, while Cummins and Boland added further chapters to previous MCG heroics. Cummins earned the Johnny Mullagh Medal as Player of the Match for an outstanding all-round Test in which he also contributed 90 runs alongside his six wickets.There was a dose of controversy, too, when Jaiswal’s rearguard was ended via the DRS after he gloved a pull down the leg side against Cummins. Snicko did not register anything, but third umpire Sharfuddoula ruled he had seen a clear a deflection, which matched what was shown on TV. Jaiswal appeared to know he had hit it but spoke with the umpires on the way off. It meant India’s lower order had 21 overs to survive and it proved too much.The defeat means India’s hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final are now out of their hands, but in terms of this series they can still retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with victory in Sydney. For Australia, a win in the final Test – and a 3-1 margin – would secure their spot in the WTC final alongside South Africa who qualified yesterday with their own gripping victory over Pakistan.The final day dawned with Australia nine down and they opted to continue batting which added just a further six runs but removed four overs from the day’s allocation. Lyon became the fifth wicket for Jasprit Bumrah, retaining his record of having the most Test runs without making a half-century. It all meant that India needed 340 in 92 overs and talk of the Gabba 2021 was never far away.Pat Cummins was awarded the Mullagh Medal after being named Player of the Match•Getty Images

India were very cautious early on against some extremely testing new ball bowling; Rohit Sharma later said they set out wanting to lay a platform for a chase but it always looked a long shot. Australia were made to wait for their opening incisions before, as has so often been the case, it was Cummins who came to the fore. He had the struggling Rohit edging to gully, where Mitchell Marsh took a sharp catch, and five balls later squared up KL Rahul with a superb delivery which ended in the hands of first slip.In the final over before lunch, Starc was rewarded for battling through the pain barrier when he lured Virat Kohli into his latest drive outside off, the edge reaching Usman Khawaja. The wicket ended a controversial time in Melbourne for Kohli, and made it clear that there was no realistic chance of India chasing down the target.Jaiswal and Pant played very solidly through the afternoon to repel everything Australia threw at them. Jaiswal, who dropped three catches yesterday, including a vital chance off Marnus Labuschagne, survived a tight lbw appeal against Starc on 31 and brought up his second fifty of the match off 127 balls.Shortly after tea, India were 121 for 3. Head, who was used partly to improve Australia’s over rate which risked WTC points deductions, dropped a ball short outside off stump and Pant went for the pull, finding Marsh at long-on who took an excellent catch. It gave Australia an opening. And belief.Cummins quickly returned to Boland and he soon made a delivery jump at Ravindra Jadeja to take the shoulder of the bat through to Carey. In the next over from Lyon, India’s first-innings rescuer, Nitish Kumar Reddy, edged a delivery which went straight on and Steven Smith took a superb catch, low to his left at slip. Australia had taken 3 for 9 to crack the innings wide open.Steven Smith gets into position to take the catch that got Nitish Kumar Reddy•Getty Images

Jaiswal’s dismissal will likely be dissected in detail over the coming days and the DRS was called into action again to rule that Akash Deep had got a thin edge into his pad which went to short leg. By then, Australia were firm favourites, especially with a new ball soon to be available, but in the end that wasn’t even needed.Boland found Bumrah’s outside edge, with Smith taking another superb catch, and then Lyon cannoned one into Siraj’s front pad. Inevitably India reviewed but it was going nowhere but the stumps. When the decision was confirmed, Lyon did a jig of delight. Overall, the Test had been watched by 373,691 spectators, a new record for a Test match in Australia. It will go down as one of the more memorable.

While finally getting over the hill and winning the Premier League is going to require a Herculean effort from the team, it would be fair to say spirits are high around Arsenal at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side beat AC Milan in Singapore and then got one over Newcastle United in Hong Kong, and now have a North London derby to look forward to tomorrow.

Unsurprisingly, one of the stars of pre-season so far has been Bukayo Saka, who scored the only goal in the first game and was more than lively in the second.

So, fans should be thrilled about reports linking them with another international superstar who could be Arteta’s new Saka.

Arsenal target their new Saka

While the football in pre-season has been great, it’s been an even better summer for Arsenal off the pitch.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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After years of fans crying out for one, the club have finally signed a new top-quality number nine in Viktor Gyokeres, and that’s not all, as Martin Zubimendi looks like he could be even more consequential at the base of midfield.

Moreover, Arteta won’t have to worry about squad depth quite as much anymore, with Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera all coming in to bolster the squad.

Yet, even with six new faces through the door, the North Londoners want to do more business, business which could see them land their new Saka.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed Arsenal have a ‘clear name’ in mind when it comes to further improving the squad this summer: Rodrygo.

While the report reveals that the Gunners will likely have to sell a player or two before signing the Brazilian, it does not mention how much he might eventually cost them.

However, multiple stories from earlier this summer indicate that a fee of around £86m could be enough to seal the deal, and while that’s a lot of money, it would be worth it for a player of Rodrygo’s quality, especially as he could be the club’s new Saka.

Why Rodrygo could be Arsenal's new Saka

So, before the pitchforks and torches come out, we aren’t necessarily saying Rodrygo will come in and be just as good as Saka right away, as the Englishman has practically made this team his own over the last few years and is unquestionably now world-class.

However, we are saying that there is every chance the Real Madrid star could come in and end up having a similar impact on the left-hand side, albeit without the homegrown academy product side of things.

Why do we think this? Well, for starters, despite playing out of position for much of the last two seasons, the Brazilian has remained a seriously dangerous attacker.

For example, the “incredible” talent, as dubbed by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That translates to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is a level of output the Gunners’ left side could do with.

Rodrygo’s recent record

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Second, much in the same way the Hale End icon has taken the club on his back in the past, the former Santos gem has often been the difference maker in big European games for his side.

In 64 Champions League games, the 24-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists, but crucially, eight of his goals have come in the knockout rounds and eight have been game-winning.

Finally, despite neither one of them being particularly tall, they’ve proven themselves to be tough to dispossess in recent seasons, be that through sheer strength or an underappreciated ability with the ball at their feet.

Moreover, when given space, both wingers can be quite explosive and an absolute nightmare for backtracking defenders, with FBref placing the Brazilian in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the penalty area and the Englishman in the top 11%.

Ultimately, while Saka will likely always be the most popular player at Arsenal thanks to his deep ties with the fans and club, Rodrygo could be almost as effective as him off the left, and therefore, Arteta and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 30, 2025